NY State Championships... kind of

On Thursday, we were notified that Whitney Point, NY was so flooded that racing would be impossible that weekend.  Not again!? was our immediate reaction.  This would have marked the third straight weekend of cancelled racing.  Luckily, the Ithaca coaches were able to throw together an impromptu "NYS Championship", and with some quick wheeling and dealing on the part of Sean Clarke and Tom Sanford, we departed for the regatta on Saturday night.

The men's V8 was set to face off against familiar foes, Hobart, Ithaca and Army amongst others.  Having not raced since Knecht Cup, we were forced to shake off the rust a little bit on the way up to the starting line @ Cayuga Lake.  Apparently this was the first time anyone has ever raced on the lake, as opposed to the Inlet.  We were without our normal 1V cox, Kyle Ward, so Emma Flynn, the F8 cox was forced to pull double duty.  This last minute change along with nerves and rustiness seemed to get the best of us in Ithaca, as we finished 3rd behind Hobart and Army.  This was a disappointing result, as we dominated both of these teams at Knecht Cup earlier in the season.  Although it was a tough pill to swallow, I think this served as a bit of a wake up call, and we will be back in form this weekend @ ECAC/NIRC in Worcester.

Luckily, the event went very well for the rest of the men's team...

The 2V8 had a very strong performance, defeating R.I.T., Ithaca, Army and Hobart.  With a very strong start, they had the piece basically wire to wire.  This boat has been looking to find its form since Knecht Cup, and a few weeks of strong practices have had the desired effect on the 2V.  This is a boat that is feeling very confident going into Worcester, and with the right performance, could definitely be a medal threat.

The F8 had a very exciting piece, as they captured the "NYS Championship".  After trade blows with Ithaca down the course, the Marist frosh caught a crab with roughly 700m to go.  Normally, this disastrous stoppage of the boat would doom a boat, especially in the last 2 minutes.  Our boys responded with poise, picking it back up and moving back into Ithaca.  Their composure was rewarded, as an Ithaca rower caught a monstrous crab, which catapulted him from the boat.  I was SO upset that we couldn't see the racing, as I'm sure this is one of the moments that anyone watching will never forget.  The F8 took off past the now 7 person Ithaca 8, and won going away.  This was a great win for the frosh, who have struggled with consistency and lineup changes all year, and have finally found their form.

I apologize to all of you eager blog viewers for the delay in reporting, but final projects and work have been catch up to me.  Also, with the exception of this past weekend, there hasn't been much to say!  We all look forward to seeing you parents and alumni in Worcester tomorrow.  This is a regatta with excellent competition, and the speed of the competition should bring out the best in us.  See you there!

President's Cup (Marist v. Army)

On Easter weekend, we travelled down the river to take on Army @ West Point.  It was a very typical race @ West Point, complete with the rain and wind that make West Point look as intimidating as intended.  If you haven't even gotten the chance to see West Point, it is one of my favorite features of the Hudson Valley.  Their facilities are wonderful, and the campus is spectacular.  Luckily, I appreciate the history of the U.S Military Academy, because a historic field trip was all this trip was good for.

The racing was immediately put on hold, due to conditions, and was subsequently cancelled.  We felt very bad for all the parents who came up to support us, and were relegated to huddling under the food tent for shelter.  A big shout out to alumni Marie Wicks, Kevin Glover, Craig Herman and Steve Kuhnert, and to all the others I missed.  Sorry you guys came to another weather induced luncheon, but it was great to see you guys, so thanks!

MAAC Championships

We arrived in NJ with high spirits and were poised to dominate the regatta.  This MAAC championship would be our 11th straight and we couldn't have been more excited to sweep.  Coach Sean Clarke set a men's team goal of winning the regatta by a combined 100 seconds over all of the events...

Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate.  Soon after we arrived, a strong wind picked up.  There was a significant cross-tail wind coming down the course, making for whitecap conditions across all lanes.  The regatta was delayed until noon, at which point it was outright cancelled.  We were very disappointed, but managed to enjoy the BBQ that the MAAC provided for everyone.  Big thanks to all the parents who traveled to support us.  Special thanks to alumni Marie Wicks, Kevin Glover and any other alum I didn't get a chance to see.  Your continued support means a lot to us.